Today, I feel completely defeated. I love my job but it lead to a very frustrating question this afternoon: why it is that we as a society continually put people who are underpaid and undereducated in positions of power? This problem is epidemic here. Think about the last time you had a run-in with the law or went to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
As a member of the solar contracting community I have witnessed countless times the unadulterated, abject will of the "Authority Having Jurisdiction" being thrown around a la Godzilla in Tokyo. Okay. I can deal with making some small changes to a PV system after the fact to appease the inspectors, but having to completely rework a system because home-boy was having a bad day is complete bovine caca.
The standing rule is this: Thou shalt not argue with an inspector lest ye awaken the wrath held within. I have enough respect for their sovereignty to listen to their comments with rapt attention and refrain from offering information unless asked for it directly. That's why I chose to rant HERE. You stand the risk of digging yourself a deeper hole by mentioning anything extra (ie. your design choices, your background, your inability to digest shellfish, whatever) much less open a "discussion" about their decisions concerning your system.
A little about me. I am a member of the conscientious group of solar professionals that believe that photovoltaics is still an infant in the contracting world, and that we have a reputation to uphold so that we can continue to do our part in the greening of the planet. As self-righteous as this may sound, I have never once knowingly cut a corner on a job and sacrificed safety, durability, or performance. I not only want the customer to be happy with the result of an install; I want their children to happy with it. Put plainly, I feel the job reflects on me personally. Alright. So you have heard how awesome I think I am. So what gives? I carry a NABCEP cert. which I studied my ass off for. I would argue that I know a thing or two about designing and installing a PV system. Doesn't it make sense that the guy that's inspecting my work carry the same cert. or higher? This obvious truth was made abundantly clear to me today as I realized my inspector-du-jour was completely talking out of his corn-hole.
What I am going to put out there into the electronic mist, as I have mused before, is that counties and municipalities should actually train the people who are responsible for making, what could ultimately be life-or-death decisions for this new branch of construction. I agree that we as contractors need oversight to protect the customer. If this is not to be, then don't send a tubby, gimp-legged, Paul-Newman-in-The-Color-of-Money wannabe, tuna fish smelling, fart-bag to call plays on my shit.
Thanks for reading.
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